I have finished reading War, Just War and am three-fourths through We Resist You to the Face. I am enjoying these books, as well as the cassettes. I admit that in my past ignorance I may have been a progressivist or conservative, and I hope for my family and I to be counter revolutionaries. We, like many others, desire the ways that were always Catholic; yet at times we seemed to adhere to an idea that was totally incompatible.

With this desire came more knowledge - yes I do believe that after asking God, Our Lady and the saints to show us what we need, the information comes to us. I have been promoting Our Lady of Good Success, Fr. Antonio Margil de Jesus and your website. I have just received my first issue of Catholic Family News. I read Fr. De Pauw's' letter "Conciliar or Catholic" - this is how I remember a priest being like.

I will be keeping one Fr. Margil CD and giving the other three and the cassette I have to Fr. Morel for the two churches.

I thank you all,

C.J.L.

Donald Attwater and Eric Gill

Dear TIA,

On the last page of A Catholic Dictionary edited by Donald Attwater (Tan Books, 1997) we have a biographical sketch of the author. In it we read: "His last book was A Cell of Good Living (1969) about his friend and fellow convert, Eric Gill."

God bless,

N.C., India

Our Lady of Las Lajas

TIA,

Thank you for your site, From Spirit Daily I linked into your site with the story of Our Lady of Lajas. I have never seen such a beautiful image of Our Blessed Lady!!!!... Except Our Lady of Good Success (which books I ordered from you some time ago).

Where please can one obtain a Holy Card with a replica image of Our Lady of Las Lajas? Or a photo reproduction of Her Image?

Thanking you for your response,

C.W.

TIA responds:

C.W.,

Actually, this is one of the most beautiful pictures of Our Lady we know, even though there are many lovely ones.

Perhaps in the future TIA will carry such a picture. To acquire one or at least to receive information on how you can do so, please try this site

Thank you for your kind words.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk

Georgia Invaded Russia

TIA,

Here is a copy of the notes I sent over to Inatoday, one of the sources you site on TIA. I respect TIA very much, but I would like to point out that our media is filled with liars and people who would destroy this country in favor of a New World Order, as I'm sure you're very aware of right now.

I noticed you put an article up on the website ascribing to the conventional wisdom that Georgia was attacked by Russia. I encourage you not only to listen to Mister Putin, (as nauseating as it may seem to a Catholic who knows full well that Russia will be our demise) but look at how Condoleezza Rice admits that Russia was not the aggressor in the war with South Ossetia, but, in fact, that Georgian Forces were the invading force. It may be helpful to know,that US and Israeli forces have been training the Georgian Army for a quite a few years now - four, I think. Why are they doing this?

That answer may be steeped in a larger conspiracy than even we can know.

The propaganda of the media is hoodwinking many people.

L.M.

TIA responds:

Mr. L.M.,

Thank you for your two letters (excerpts of the first one are posted above) on the Russia-Georgia situation. We don't see the point of your protests. Both TIA and Mr. Westerman do not deny that the initiative in the fight was taken by Georgia when it entered South Ossetia, a separatist province protected by Russia. Although Georgia did not invade Russia directly, as you seem to suppose, it took the initiative in the attack. This is not in dispute.

It was clear to everyone following the news that Georgia had some secondary purpose to involve the US in its fight. This is evident when one considers that there was a complete lack of proportion between the minuscule Georgian forces and the Russian ones protecting South Ossetia. So, taking the initiative in the attack, the Georgians entered an adventuresome military-political game. The US did not back this action militarily. Therefore, the game didn't produce the expected results. So far, we are on the same page.

What was criticized by Mr. Westerman and endorsed by TIA was the second phase of the process: the complete disproportion of the Russian reaction to that almost juvenile Georgian adventure. Instead of a fair reprisal to regain the previous status quo, Russia decided to make a theatrical display of strength, invading the territory of Georgia itself beyond South Ossetia borders.

This was a clear threat to the US and the world and a warning that Russia wants to return to its old Soviet style. Indeed, recent news confirm that the president of "independent" South Ossetia is asking to be admitted as a part of the Russian Federation.

We hope that this explanation will appease your concerns.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk

Sede-Vacantist Insults

Individuals of TIA,

I am saddened to see the latest addition to your website by an individual listed as "Dan O'Connell."

"Therefore, if the temporal power (the State) errs, it will be judged by the spiritual power (the Church); but if a minor spiritual power errs, it will be judged by a superior spiritual power; but if the highest power of all (the Pope) errs, it can be judged only by God, and not by man."

This is a good quote because it shows how schismatic those self-styled "recognize and resist" traditionalists are who "recognize" the Novus Ordo as the Catholic Church, yet they judge every single thing that their "pope" does, running here and there writing things, putting up websites and going to chapels... all of which are set up in opposition to the individual these "resisters" call the Pope. Please go read any Catholic catechism and learn what proper obedience is to Christ's Authority - His Vicar. You will find that your entire "apostolate" is founded on disobedience and schismatic principles.

Ethan Muehlbauer

You Are Laughing Too Loud

Dears Sirs,

I read the anti-sede-vacantism opinion piece most recently posted on your
website, and I must say, I was a little let down by its flippancy. To hold the view that one or another of the popes since Pius XII may not be true popes, nor even Catholic, doesn't seem to be such a stretch [of imagination] any longer.

John Paul II in particular seems to have believed in the heresy of universal salvation, if one is to take seriously his veneration of Judaism, his kissing the Koran, even honoring Gandhi and voodoo priests. Maybe any one of these outrages could have been discounted as a fluke but everything the man did suggests he endorsed the heresy of universal salvation. He allowed the idea to be promoted that the Jews are still under a covenant that guarantees their salvation without their accepting Christ. How can a man do what he did and be considered Catholic, let alone a pope?

I've read the arguments pro and contra sede-vacantism, with an open mind, but more and more it seems to me that the people attacking sede-vacantism are laughing a bit too loudly at those who lean to that opinion. I find that the picture comes into better focus if one is allowed to entertain the suspicion that John Paul II and perhaps even Benedict may have excommunicated themselves by their manifest deviations from Catholic doctrine.

We believe that a heretical Pope loses the pontificate before God at the moment he adheres consciously and with pertinacity to a heresy. However, he continues to be Pope before the Church until one of the following conditions is met:

Another Pope declares him a heretic;

The ensemble of the Church considers him a heretic.

These opinions are based on History and very good authors. We never laugh about these perspectives. We consider them a most dolorous reality comparable to the Passion of Our Lord.

To the common arguments presented in this polemic, Mr. O'Connell brought others worthy of serious reflection in the mentioned article, to wit:

Our Lord never denied the office of Pontiff to Caiaphas, even though He knew perfectly that he had incurred the highest possible heresy, which was the denial of the Messiah, and the killing of his own God.

In some ways the Holy Ghost continued to assist that Pontiff, even when he had committed those crimes.

When Our Lord warned about the Scribes and Pharisees, he told all Catholics to be vigilant about what ecclesiastical authorities say and do. It is an implicit invitation for us to exercise our discernment regarding Church authorities, and not to declare that they lost their offices.

These are valuable contributions to the present day polemic that cannot in any way be taken as flippant.

Now, in our position of Resistance, we receive many offensive e-mails, like the one posted above your message, that come from persons who lack the most elementary intellectual attributes to analyze the problem. We have piles of insulting letters along these lines. Probably, Mr. O'Connell is also tired of these rude and obtuse objectors.

So, instead of refuting some of these baseless and endless questions, he used his jovial wit to demonstrate how ridiculous they are. It is his talent and Irish verve, not ours. But, we welcomed his piece.

To laugh once, as we did with Dan O'Connell, is not to laugh too loud at all who hold this position, as you conclude. It is just a way to set aside the most inept and ridiculous representatives of this opinion. A question of the common good...

On the contrary, to those - like you - who are serious and competent in dealing with the topic, we respond with all attention.

Cordially,

TIA correspondence desk

Posted September 22, 2008

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